BYZANTINE OPENWORK GOLD ARCHITECTURAL RING WITH DOMED BEZEL

Ca. AD 600 - 700. An openwork gold ring with a narrow hoop formed as two beaded borders linked by a continuous undulating wire. The applied architectural bezel is a square colonnade with four arched panels and corner studs, surmounted by a dome with a small central knop. The bezel base sits on a short collar above the hoop. For similar see: J. Spier, Byzantium and the West, Jewelry in the first Millennium. Cat. 28. Size: D:15.09mm / US: 4 / UK: H 1/2; Weight: 3.5g Provenance: Private London collection; previously acquired from a Belgian collection (1980s-1990s).